There are few things that can brighten up someone’s day the way a good earworm can, and Julian Carrington has one that’s going to end up being one of the catchiest local releases of 2020.
On Tuesday, the bandleader and composer—who CL profiled in its 2018 Music Issue featuring Tampa Bay’s 30 best local musicians under 30—released a new single, “Love Crime,” which was born when he and his production team Noisy Nehbur were in the studio toying with samples. The vocal comes from none other than “American Idol” alum Shevonne, who’s long been a forward facing fixture on the local rock and pop scene.
The cut (like its video) is ripe for a skating rink session, and Carrington told CL that Noisy Nehbur—which has plans to work with more local artists in 2020—just tried to get out of the way of the song and its message once the samples started to make sense.
“For me, it's the sound. The music will speak for itself without verbally saying anything. Once I heard the sounds, the inspiration followed and gave me the idea of the record,” he said in an email. “No matter what language you speak or what color your skin is, everyone can relate to being in love.”
Listen to the song below, and save it to your phone via Spotify.
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This article appears in Feb 13-20, 2020.